Mla 2011 cloud collaboration

CLOUD COLLABORATIONUsing PBworks Campus Edition & Google Apps (Groups, Docs & Sites) for classroom and professional collaboration.

CLOUD COMPUTING

Accessing applications and creating/editing/storing data online, through a Web browser (ie. using web-based applications) rather than by opening/using software installed on your computer/server

Or, to put it another way- Online vs. On-your-computer

SO…

The cloud is great for collaborating with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Two (or four) Resources I use for collaboration Google Apps [Free]

Google Groups Google Docs Google Sites Used to work online with colleagues from multiple

institutions (MN Library Futurist group) PBworks Campus Edition [Not Free]

Used in MCTC INFS 1000 classes for group work/student collaboration

GOOGLE APPS Challenge: How do you collaborate with 24

people who, by the way, work in different organizations all across the state and can only meet about once a month? Old timey solution:

E-mail Problems with ye olde e-mail

Messy Working with attachments

Revision, then re-attach Cloud solution:

Google Apps Create a Google Group Utilize Google Docs Create a Google Site (and Blog- not created through

Google Apps) for public communication

GOOGLE GROUPS All messages/message threads for group stored in one

place Don’t get buried/lost in e-mail inbox/folders/trash

Still want to get an e-mail when something is posted to the group? You will get an e-mail copy of the message on your Gmail

account (which, yes, you DO need a Gmail account to work with Google Apps) Can also set up as digest e-mail or to not send you e-mails at all.

Google Groups is also good for e-mail lists You get a group e-mail address

Great for messaging everyone in the group with one e-mail address

Great contact for folks who want to contact the group Without setting up a separate e-mail account Messages are posted to the group and also come to our

individual Gmail accounts as part of the Google Group (unless you choose to not receive e-mails)

GOOGLE GROUPS – MN LIBRARY FUTURISTS

Home Page


Sample Message in Google Groups


Same message as it appeared in Gmail

GOOGLE DOCS Assuming you all have some familiarity with

Google Docs Basically like an online, editable Word

document, shared (and viewing or editing rights given) using a Gmail address

Easy sharing/editing rights with Google Group e-mail address Don’t have to add everyone individually Just add the group e-mail and all have access

Used for minutes, agendas, small group work, & other group documents Can be viewed/edited by all members of the group

GOOGLE DOCSShared document

GOOGLE SITES

EASY & FREE website creation Futurists used our Google Group and

Google Docs for internal communication and more attractive, cleaned up Google Site for external communication

That said…Once Google Docs (such as Minutes) are

ready for prime time, they can be easily added to a Google Site

Collaborative creation of website content via Google Docs embedded in uniform design of Google Site

GOOGLE SITESMN Library Futures Initiative Website (is a Google Site!)

PBWORKS CAMPUS EDITION INFS 1000: Information Literacy & Research Skills

Semester-long, credit-bearing IL course taught at Minneapolis Community & Technical College

Course requires students to work in groups and complete (among other coursework) six team assignments

Challenge: Multiple students editing/completing assignments together; most students do not finish in class and want to coninue working together outside of class Old timey solution:

Word document, shared as e-mail attachment Problems with ye olde Word document

Messy, inefficient/extra work compiling into one assignment Working with one document circulated as an e-mail attachment

Revision, then re-attach Or one student made responsible for compiling separate

documents/work Computer (il)literacy complictions

Cloud solution: PBworks wiki (PBworks Campus Edition)

Create a wiki version of the assignments One document, editable by all students

PBWORKS CAMPUS EDITION Assuming you all have some familiarity with FREE PBworks

wikis Why Campus Edition?

1. Page level permissions (Customized Access/Privacy) Give permission for students to access and/or edit only some

areas of wiki at page level Hidden Pages: students cannot see other teams’ work. Can give different permissions on individual pages

Example: students can edit their assignment, cannot edit main/home page of wiki/their team’s workspace

2. “Dashboard” for the administrator(s) of the workspaces so he/she/they can see and manage all “campus wikis” in one area

This makes cloning possible; good with the kind of collaboration we do as a department (shared syllabus, assignments, etc.)

Create template wiki, copy (“clone”) for each section of INFS 1000

Other editions of PBworks are designed for individual instructors/users

3. More space!1. It’s not clear what the space limitations are for other accounts, but for the

campus edition we are allowed 1000 users (can rotate in and out) and unlimited file space storage (presumably less space and users for other editions).

INFS 1000 PBWORKS WIKI

**Students cannot edit this page**

Home Page (first page students see in their INFS 1000 wiki)


**Students cannot edit this page**

Home Page (first page students see in their INFS 1000 wiki)


**Students cannot edit this page.****Only students in this team can see this page.**

TEAM Home Page (first page students see in their team’s area of the wiki)


**Students CAN edit this page.****Only students in this team can see this page.**

Team Assignment Page


When students complete assignments, they can easily create a PDF to submit to me via their online dropbox

Click here for PDF

HOW COULD YOU USE THESE IN YOUR LIBRARY? Some ideas:

Collaborative projects (Google Apps or wiki) Keep (online) work related to a project in one place, where all can view &

edit Work across multiple institutions/Long-distance collaboration

These tools can be very helpful in organizing, coordinating and completing work done primarily online

E-mail functions of Google Groups can be helpful for collaboration across institutions

Teaching/Instruction with teams (wiki) Has especially enriched online teaching (can see work AS students are

working on it, before it is due; online equivalent to face-to-face lab days where students are working and can seek instructor feedback in class.)

Librarian collaboration with Instructors/Faculty (wiki) Embedded librarians and/or liaisons could work with/support/create content

for classes in wiki Agendas, minutes, and other important information (Google

Docs, Google Group or wiki) Shared documents, shared editing

E-mail lists/Google Group Get an e-mail but also have archive of all messages in Google Group)

Concerns: Privacy

Make sure you know who can see and edit your information, documents, etc.

Be aware of permissions, settings and/or editions of these tools specific to your needs

Cost Additional functionality and capabilities often come at a price/are not free.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

Links to additional Sources on our (PBworks!) wiki for this session.

QUESTIONS?

Thank you.

Amanda MillsFaculty Librarian, Minneapolis Community &

Technical [email protected]

Technology

Mla 2011 cloud collaboration